DOT refines Route 9 plans

The state Department of Transportation is continuing to advance plans to alter the corner of Route 9 and George Avenue in the Village of Round Lake, and it held a public meeting on Monday, Aug. 24, at the Round Lake Fire House to solicit the opinion of local residents on the newest iteration of the project.

The overall concept has remained much the same since it was presented in February, but the DOT wants to continue taking comments and keep the public up to date.

One of the fundamental things we need is feedback from the public, said DOT spokesman Peter Van Keuren. "We don't live in these areas, and there is certainly the local perspective that we need to get."

The preferred plan the DOT will present involves realigning George Avenue so that it intersects Route 9 at a right angle instead of the skewed approach motorists now take. In addition, the DOT would like to terminate Maltaville Road near its intersection with Route 9 to cut down on traffic that would use that road as a shortcut to Route 67 and the Mechanicville area.

"We're looking at it from a safety standpoint," said Van Keuren. He said that he was not aware of a high number of accidents at the intersection, but skewed intersections can be more difficult to navigate.

"Oftentimes if we're in the area, we'll redesign the intersection to come in at more of a right angle," he said.

The proposed plans call for a "hammerhead" end to Maltaville Road, where two strips of roadway would be added to the end of the road to make turnarounds easier. By cutting it off from George Avenue, which runs straight through the village, travelers may be enticed to go around Round Lake.

The idea of quieter streets has been well received by residents, said Round Lake Mayor Dixie Lee Sacks.